First-Time Competitors at YCS Chicago

June 20th, 2010

Everybody’s Dueling career has to start somewhere, and for dozens of Duelists here this weekend, that journey started today! We sat down to interview six of the many YCS First-Timers making their Championship-level debut this weekend to talk about their beginnings, their Decks, and their impressions of the YCS experience.

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Kevin Muldoon is 15 years old, and comes from right here in Chicago, Illinois! A veteran of Regional Qualifier tournaments in nearby Countryside, he plays in local tournaments twice a week to develop his Dueling skills. He’s only been playing competitively for a little over a year, since March, 2009. But he played a lot when he was younger, which led him to get back into the game. “My friends were playing at school, and I was just like, ‘I remember these!’ I used to play when I was little.” Kevin is playing Infernities, and his favorite card in his Deck is Infernity Launcher. His impression of the event? “I’m feeling it! There are a lot of vendors, and I saw a couple big players I recognized.”

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Noah Lisberg is an 11 year old Chicagoan running what he describes as “A very powerful Machine Deck,” with Machina Force. “Machina Force is the strongest Machine,” Lisberg said. When we asked how what he thought of the tournament, he replied, “It’s really fun! I’ve gone to smaller ones, and it wasn’t as much fun because it was single-elimination. Here, I can play all day.” When we asked him what card he wanted to hold for his picture here, he said, “I want to hold up this one,” showing us his Ghost Rare Black-Winged Dragon. “I just got it today!”

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Elizabeth Khouri, 13, and her mother made a brisk 35 minute drive this morning from nearby Palus Hills, IL, so Elizabeth could compete in her first Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG tournament. What did she think of the first tournament in her Dueling career? “I think it’s pretty cool! I’ve been playing since 6th Grade – about three years. I always watched the TV show when I was younger – I’d go on the CW4kids.com website, and watch it there. Around the beginning of Grade 6, I decided it might be fun to play.” Elizabeth was keeping her Deck in an Akiza Deck box, and her strategies showed clear influences from TV’s Black Rose Duelist: “My Deck is all Psychic monsters, Plant-Types, and Spellcasters.” Her favorite card here today is Ancient Fairy Dragon.

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11 year-old Brian Ahle has been Dueling since the age of 6, but he’s been a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan since he was just 3 years old. According to his dad, David, (who was also here today), Brian started his Dueling aspirations watching the original Yu-Gi-Oh! TV series. Years later he’s become quite the Duelist, and is playing a Herald of Perfection Deck rather than his Infernity Deck. “I thought it was an interesting Deck. I had an Infernity Deck, too, but I like the Heralds more.” Infernities are his favorite matchup today too, the one Deck he wants to play against the most. It took Brian and his dad a little over 4 hours to travel to today’s venue from Ofallon, Illinois for Brian’s first-ever Championship-level tournament..

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Nine year-old Kyle Kukula traveled here this weekend from Plainfield, Illinois to compete in the main event. Making the trip with his dad David, Kyle is playing Blackwings here this weekend. His favorite card in his Deck is Blackwing – Bora theSpear. “It helps me OTK!” Like all the best Duelists, Kyle’s choice in Decks today was based on familiarity and experience. “Blackwing is what I usually play, and I’m used to it.” He’s only been playing a couple of months, but already attends tournaments at local card shops on a regular basis. His targeted matchups for the weekend? “I want to play against X-Sabers and Infernities.”

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These Duelists are just a sampling of the First-Timers in competition here today! The future of the games rests in the hands of fresh new Duelists like these, and with new competitors always rising to the call, that future looks bright!